Emanuel Cleaver’s Office Hit with Molotov Cocktail

Representative Emanuel Cleaver’s district office located in Kansas City, Missouri was hit earlier today with a Molotov cocktail type device. According to local police and lawmakers, the device was thrown through one of the windows of the office building.

Shortly before 3:00 a.m., Kansas City police officers were dispatched to Cleaver’s office. Upon arrival, the officers found two broken bottles, each with paper towels sticking out of the top. As stated by Sgt. Kari Thompson, the bottles were found lying under the broken windows. Officers also identified an odor that smelled similar to lighter fluid.

As noted by John Jones, Democrat’s Chief of Staff, this is the second time in six years that an incident like this has occurred. Fortunately, there was no one in the building at the time and thereby, no injuries.

Cleaver released a formal statement saying that of all days for this to happen, people should be focusing on all the lives that were lost on 09/11/2011, not on a small incident in which no one was hurt and no serious property damage was done. He goes on to say that the families and friends of those killed on 09/11, as well as the people who suffered in the aftermath, are in his thoughts and prayers.

During the time of the incident, Emanuel Cleaver was in Washington DC. Representative Marcia Fudge, Democrat for the state of Ohio, weighs in on the situation by saying that any type of vandalism targeting Congressman Cleaver is strongly condemned by the Congressional Black Caucus. However, she also denounces any act of violence against Congress as a whole.

Fudge adds that abhorrent behavior such as this is an ineffective way of voicing concerns, disagreement, or discontent. Currently, the United States Capitol Police is working in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), as well as local law enforcement officials to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrator to justice. On a final note, spokesman Shennell Antrobus with the Capitol Police said no arrests have yet been made.